New GenForward Survey Aims to Debunk Millennial Views on LGBTQ Issues

New GenForward Survey Aims to Debunk Millennial Views on LGBTQ Issues

GenForward is a nationally representative survey of Millennials led by Dr. Cathy Cohen from the University of Chicago fielded by NORC with oversamples of African American, Latinx and Asian American Millennials ages 18-34. This survey, taken from May 17 to June 3, 2018, includes interviews with 525 African American, 256 Asian American, 502 Latinx, and 553 white Millennials.

Do more Millennials self-identify as LGBTQ than in past generations… or are they just more open about it? Are they more connected to their ethnic/racial group or to LGBTQ communities? What are their priorities? Millennials are America’s largest, most diverse generation and potential voting bloc. What are they thinking?

For the first time, a new survey, GenForward: Millennials Views on LGBT Issues: Race, Identity and Experience asks these questions, and more, across Race, Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation.

Interestingly, the survey showed that LGBTQ Millennials, while clearly concerned with bullying, are concerned with equal employment rights to almost the same degree.

Majorities across racial and ethnic groups support adoption by LGBTQ parents, though African American (+4%), Latinx (+9%), and white Millennials (+13%) are more likely to support adoption by lesbians and gays than by transgender parents.

Identifying as LGBTQ. Approximately 14% of Millennials identify as something other than straight/heterosexual. Larger percentages of Latinx Millennials (22%) identify as LGBTQ compared with African Americans (14%), whites (13%), and Asian Americans (9%).

Group Solidarity. Millennials who identify as LGBT, independent of race and ethnic group, express higher levels of group solidarity, or “linked fate,” with other LGBT people compared to the linked fate Millennials who identify as straight/heterosexual feel toward other straight/heterosexual young adults.

Knowing Someone Who is LGBT. Large majorities of Millennials across race/ethnicity know someone who is gay or lesbian. Fewer, though still substantial, know someone who is transgender. White Millennials are the most likely to know a transgender person (36%) compared to other racial/ethnic groups (~22%).

Anti-LGBT Discrimination in the U.S. Millennials are more likely to say there is “a lot” of discrimination against transgender people compared to lesbians and gays (46% vs. 34%).

Anti-LG Discrimination in Racial Communities. Majorities of Latinxs (61%) and Asian Americans (53%) say there is “a lot” of discrimination against lesbians and gays in their racial community, compared to 43% of African Americans and 27% of whites.

Anti-Transgender Discrimination in Racial Communities. Majorities of Asian Americans (64%) and African Americans (58%) and pluralities of Latinxs (49%) and whites (47%) say there is “a lot” of discrimination against transgender people in their racial community.

Racial Tensions in the LGBT Movement. Majorities of African American (53%) and Latinx (50%) Millennials believe that the issues confronting LGBT individuals in communities of color are very different than the issues being promoted by mainstream organizations. In contrast, the majority of white (58%) and Asian American (54%) Millennials believe that all LGBT individuals benefit when mainstream LGBT organizations fight for basic rights.

LGBT Views of the LGBT Movement. Millennials who identify as LGBT are also more likely (52%) to believe that issues confronting people of color who are LGBT are very different from those that are promoted by mainstream LGBT organizations.

Accepting LGBT Children. Majorities of Millennials say they could accept their son or daughter being LGBT. White Millennials (80%) expressed the greatest acceptance toward having a child that identified as LGBT, followed by Asian American (76%), Latinx (75%), and finally African American (68%) Millennials.

LGBT Millennials. Of Millennials who identify as LGBT, over one fifth, or 21%, believe that homosexuality is a moral detriment, while among Millennials who identify as straight, 40% agree that homosexuality is damaging to society’s moral values.

A total of 1,886 interviews were conducted representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey was offered in English and Spanish and made available via telephone and web modes.

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On his radio show Monday night, Matthews stated he is only interested in the Memphis mayoral race and the district six council race because Clemons is an openly gay candidate. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, Matthews devoted two two-hour podcasts to lambasting Davin’s sexual orientation.

“I’m not going to hold him being a homosexual against him,” Matthews said, adding his support for Clemons’ opponent because he is a “family man.” He also said that his “wife is a woman” and promised to “look for the dirt” on Clemons.

Matthews noted Clemons as being a police officer before going on to talk about his “sexual preferences.”

“They do all that in the bedroom…unless you got a record as a police officer of fraternizing with other men while on the job,” Matthews said.

Victory Fund asserted in a statement, “There have been no such accusations against Clemons and Matthews makes no attempt to clarify or provide evidence for his claim. He says simply, ‘We’ll save all that for a later date.'”

Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said, “Thaddeus Matthews’s bigoted attack on Davin is both cringe-worthy and insidious – an unsubtle and failed attempt at doublespeak that insults the intelligence of his listeners and the people of Memphis. But the most repulsive moment in his diatribe is when he attacks Davin – a police officer who risks his life for his community – with a vague and false accusation for which he offers zero evidence. He is attempting to exploit the tired and homophobic stereotype of gay men as sexual predators, but we have learned these attacks are increasingly rejected by voters in Tennessee and across the country. Matthews is a charlatan going after ratings through provocation. It will not stop this historic LGBTQ candidate who spends his days going door to door to speak with voters about how to uplift and unite Memphis, not divide.”

Colorado Becomes 18th State to Ban Conversion Therapy

Sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, and Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and Senator Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, HB19-1129 bans a state-licensed medical or mental health care provider from engaging in the discredited, harmful practice of conversion therapy on a patient under 18 years of age in order to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. A physician or mental health care provider who violates this provision engages in unprofessional conduct under the applicable professional licensing board.

Colorado is the 18th state in the country to ban conversion therapy for minors.

A version of this bill was first introduced in 2015, and was introduced every session after. All were previously sent to kill committees in the Republican-controlled Senate after passing the House. This year, the bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers.

One Colorado Executive Director Daniel Ramos said, “After five attempts in the last five years, Colorado has finally taken the significant step in protecting our LGBTQ youth by banning the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is based on the false claim that being LGBTQ is a mental illness that needs to be cured – a view that has been rejected as scientifically invalid by every major medical and mental health group. No young person should ever be shamed by a mental health professional into thinking that who they are is wrong. Mental health care should be ethical and affirming for all people – including LGBTQ young people. I applaud the Colorado General Assembly for their bipartisan support of this measure. Protecting our LGBTQ youth is not a partisan issue.”

One Colorado is the state’s leading advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans.

Silas Musick, a survivor of conversion therapy and graduate of the Colorado-based Focus on the Family Institute, said, “Therapy with the purpose of guiding people to the best version of themselves is beneficial, healing, and can save lives. However, therapy where only one outcome is considered successful is harmful. After years of trying to change an unchangeable part of myself, I know I am valued and loved for who I am. I’m thankful our LGBTQ youth are now protected from this dangerous and discredited practice by medical and mental health professionals.”

On March 25, the Colorado Senate passed House Bill 19-1129: Prohibit Conversion Therapy for Minors on a bipartisan 21-13 vote. Senators Don Coram, R-Montrose, Kevin Priola, R- Henderson, and Jack Tate, R-Centennial, were the Republican votes in support of the bill.

On February 19, the Colorado House passed House Bill 19-1129: Prohibit Conversion Therapy for Minors on a bipartisan 42-20 vote. Representatives Colin Larson, R-Littleton, and Hugh McKean, R-Loveland, were the two Republican votes in support of the bill.

Governor Jared Polis, the country’s first openly gay elected governor, signed the bill into law on May 31, 2019.

Gay Polish Couple Release Viral ‘You Need to Calm Down’ Video

Do the names Jakub Kwieciński and David Mycek sound familiar? They might. The gay Polish couple made headlines when they came out to family, friends and complete strangers in 2016 while performing a lip-synced version of Roxette’s “Some Other Summer.” Well, they’ve done it again, this time to Taylor Swift’s 2019 summer sensation “You Need to Calm Down” off her Lover album.

“You Need to Calm Down” was released by Swift at the start of LGBTQ+ Pride Month (June 2019) in an effort to denounce homophobia. The Pop star sings, “You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace / And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate / Cause shade never made anybody less gay.”

Later she asks, “Can you just not step on his gown?”

The accompanying video went viral after it was released, in part due to Swift’s superstar cohorts, including her once “Bad Blood” subject Katy Perry. Queer Hollywood (Billy Porter, Ellen DeGeneres and Adam Rippon) made appearances alongside the two leading ladies as well.

Kwieciński and Mycek chose to re-purpose “You Need To Calm Down” in hopes of pushing back against a reported rise in homophobia and transphobia in their home country, according to HuffPost. The cast in their video was a little more personal, with local advocates, politicians and media personalities taking center stage. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 125,000 viewers had seen their video.

And now you can, too:

﻿Kwieciński and Mycek married in 2017.

“It is really amazing tribute to the LGBTQ community,” Kwieciński said of Swift’s original video version. “We wish [Swift] was Polish because with her open heart and power, she might change a lot here. Polish artists don’t support our community too much. They don’t want to lose conservative fans and don’t want to upset the government, which is in charge of our national television.”

Gazeta Polska, a conservative publication, began distributing “LGBT-free zone” stickers in July. Kwieciński said he hoped music would create a safe and accepting place for his people.

“Poland is one of the most homophobic countries in Europe, so people usually are afraid to express themselves,” he said. “We need to let people know us — show them that we are their doctors, neighbors, hairdressers and so on.”